


Monster

by AvatarAzulaang



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Conflict Resolution, Drama, F/M, Family Drama, good parenting, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 16:01:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28548285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvatarAzulaang/pseuds/AvatarAzulaang
Summary: Airbending too can be very destructive. After a training accident, Azula's daughter wonders what it means to hold such a power. Azula tries to be the kind of mother she would have needed at that age, while also reconciling with her own past.One-Shot, kind of dramatic story but with a happy ending
Relationships: Aang/Azula (Avatar)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 65





	Monster

**Author's Note:**

> quick fyi if you didn't read the tags, Zuki, Kuzon and Ursa are Aang and Azula's children.

”Stop! You’re hurting him!“

With a thud, Kuzon falls to the ground, gasping for air. Immediately, Ursa is at his side trying to comfort him.

Zuki‘s eyes widen in shock at what she’s done.

”I‘m sorry!“ she calls out, panic seeping into her voice. She reaches out her hand, but stops at her big sister’s deadly stare, lightning crackling in her usually so kind golden eyes.

”I didn’t mean to!“ she cries, turning around and running away as tears start to fill her eyes.

~

Azula finds her daughter at the pond, ”feeding“ the turtleducks. Though her idea of feeding consists mostly of chugging strategically placed bread-headshots (breadshots, her husband would call them) at the poor creatures.

When she and Aang had decided to move to Air-Temple island permanently, she had insisted on building a perfect replica of the palace courtyard behind their house. It was the one piece of her home she didn’t wanna miss.

Carefully, she sat down next to her obviously still upset child. Zuki had stopped chugging the bread at the ducklings when her mother arrived, but now she was just grumpily crumbling it in her tiny hands.

A few minutes pass before either of them says a word.

”Mom," Zuki finally says, "am I a monster?“

She’s taken aback by the question, though really, she should have seen it coming long ago. Azula stays silent for a moment, thinking of the best way to reply, knowing how crucial whatever she said now would be. Eventually, she begins to speak.

”You know, every element holds the potential to do great evil, that is the very nature of things, but it’s up to the bender to decide how they will use it.“

”Then I don’t wanna be a bender!“ Zuki pouts, crossing her arms.

Azula hesitates again, before deciding on a course of action.

”Let me show you something.“

Zuki looks up at her, as Azula opens her palm and lights a fire in her hand. For a second, she sees fear flash in her daughter’s eyes and she hates herself for it. But she quickly realizes Zuki isn’t even really looking at her. She’s looking behind her, at the other end of the garden, where Ursa and now Aang are sat consoling her little brother. She realizes, her daughter’s fear isn’t directed at her, it’s directed at herself.

”Look at the fire sweetie.“

She barely shifts her attention, but Azula continues nonetheless.

”Right now, this fire represents protection, warmth, energy, life itself.“

In her daughter’s eyes, now fully focused on her, she sees understanding. To the little girl, there was no doubt about this, it’s what she‘d always associated with her mother’s blue flame.

Azula gets up and slowly circles it around her body, before suddenly hurling it at a nearby tree. Immediately, it went up in flames.

”But it can also bring great destruction. Fire is both of those things, does that make fire evil?“

”Of course not,“ Zuki chimed in. ”it’s just fire.“

”Exactly!“ Azula said, nodding proudly.

”And,“ she gulps a little. ”does that make me a monster for using it?“

”Of course not!“ Zuki exclaims, throwing up her arms. ”You’re the greatest!“

She gives a light chuckle at her daughter’s antics, the little girl would never know the relief she felt in that moment.

”See! So why would you be any different?“

Zuki gets quiet again.

”So... you don’t think I‘m a monster?“ she asks hesitantly.

Azula gives her the biggest smile and wraps her arms around her.

”Of course not sweetie.“

A few more minutes pass as they sit in silence by the pond, watching the baby turtleducks huddle around their mother and quacking happily. For reasons her daughter will never understand, Azula sheds a few tears at the sight.

”Alright,“ she finally says. ”let’s go join the others.“

**Author's Note:**

> If you were wondering about the beginning, Zuki accidentally chocked her brother with airbending.
> 
> This was the second in my line of Azulaang family stories. Should I keep posting them separately, or would you guys prefer them as chapters of like a One-Shot collection?


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